Understanding Training Residuals: The Key to Maintaining Athletic Performance

As a strength and conditioning coach, one of the most crucial concepts I discuss with athletes is training residuals – a fundamental principle that can make or break their performance throughout the season. Understanding training residuals isn’t just about knowing how long training effects last; it’s about optimizing your training program to maintain peak performance when it matters most.

I walk you through all the information in this article in the video below, if that’s more your thing.

What Are Training Residuals?

Training residuals represent the duration of time that a specific training adaptation remains effective in your body after you stop training that particular quality. Think of it as the “shelf life” of your training gains. This concept, originally developed by Vladimir Issurin in his work on block periodization, provides crucial insights into how frequently we need to train different athletic qualities to maintain or improve performance.

The Five Key Training Residuals

1. Speed and ATP-CP System (5 ± 3 days)

The shortest training residual belongs to speed and the ATP-CP energy system. This means these qualities need the most frequent training to maintain:

• Requires training at least weekly
• Affects explosive movements and quick bursts of activity
• Improves neuromuscular interactions and motor control
• Enhances anaerobic power
• Can see up to 10% performance decrease if not maintained

For example, if you run a 5-second 40-yard dash and stop training speed, you could see your time increase to 5.2 or 5.3 seconds within just eight days of detraining.

2. Repeated Power (15 ± 5 days)

This quality is crucial for sports requiring multiple bursts of power over time:

• Important for basketball, soccer, and other intermittent sprint sports
• Can be maintained with training every two weeks
• Improves both aerobic and anaerobic enzymes
• Enhances local blood circulation
• Increases lactate tolerance
• Builds repeat sprint ability

3. Glycolytic Energy System (18 ± 4 days)

This system is particularly important for middle-distance events and sports with sustained high-intensity efforts:

• Critical for activities like 400m-800m runs and wrestling
• Requires balance between training stimulus and recovery
• Improves anaerobic enzymes
• Enhances glycogen storage capacity
• Increases lactate buffering capacity
• Can be maintained with training every other week

4. Strength (30 ± 5 days)

Maximum strength has one of the longest residual training effects:

• Can be maintained with less frequent training
• Has strong neural component
• Involves muscle hypertrophy benefits
• Allows for maintenance with once-per-week training
• Can be improved even with bi-weekly heavy training sessions

5. Oxidative Energy System (30 ± 5 days)

The aerobic energy system also has a longer residual training effect:

• Important for endurance athletes
• Improves capillary density
• Enhances fat metabolism
• Increases glycogen storage
• Can be maintained with less frequent training once base is established

Practical Applications for Athletes and Coaches

Understanding training residuals is crucial for program design, especially during the competitive season. Here’s how to apply this knowledge:

In-Season Training Priorities

During the season, many athletes make the mistake of completely stopping their strength and speed training to focus on conditioning. However, since speed and power have the shortest residuals, this approach can lead to significant performance decreases. Instead:

• Maintain speed training with weekly sessions
• Include power development exercises regularly
• Use the longer residual of strength to your advantage
• Balance training with competition demands

Off-Season to In-Season Transition

The transition from off-season to in-season training should be strategic:

• Don’t abandon the qualities that took months to develop
• Maintain at least one weekly session focusing on speed and power
• Use practice time efficiently to maintain repeated power
• Schedule strength training around competitions

Programming Considerations

When designing training programs, consider these key points:

1. Prioritize qualities with shorter residuals during in-season training
2. Use the minimum effective dose to maintain each quality
3. Balance training frequency with recovery needs
4. Adjust volume and intensity based on competition schedule
5. Educate athletes about the importance of maintaining training qualities

Conclusion

Training residuals provide a scientific framework for understanding how to maintain athletic performance throughout the season. By recognizing that different training adaptations have varying “shelf lives,” we can create more effective training programs that prevent performance decreases when they matter most.

For athletes and coaches, this knowledge is invaluable. It helps explain why some athletes peak too early or fade late in the season, and more importantly, how to prevent these issues. Remember, the goal isn’t just to get better in the off-season – it’s to maintain those improvements when they count the most.

Need help understanding this information? Book a FREE Discovery Call where we can discuss how we can help you level up your programming and training.